


his eyes on him

by ShatteredEpiphany



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Oikawa Tooru-centric, OikawaAngstFest2k16, Underage Rape/Non-con, the 2nd half is Iwaizumi's point of view so I am keeping the IwaOi tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-11-13
Packaged: 2018-08-27 09:57:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8397154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShatteredEpiphany/pseuds/ShatteredEpiphany
Summary: Iwaizumi is grieving and Oikawa is left to the attentions of the new assistant coach.





	1. Where it all goes wrong..

It’s late and the sound of a serve hitting the ground echoes through an empty gym on Aoba Johsai campus.

Over and over Oikawa Tooru gets in the starting position, throws the ball in the air and runs jumping up, up, up.. he makes contact with the ball smoothly serving it over the net and hitting near the end line. The rhythm is uninterrupted for at least half an hour.

Until the door of the gym creeks open. And Oikawa has to squash the startling feeling of hope that sound inspires. Because usually it’s his best friend Iwaizumi Hajime that enters all ready to shout at Oikawa for over working and then proceeding to drag him away.

It’s not him.

Oikawa ignores the gaze he feels on himself, has felt on himself for some weeks now. Ever since their new assistant coach was introduced to the team _he_ has been watching Oikawa, branding him with a particular kind of gaze. Oikawa Tooru loves attention, thrives on it even. But he has to admit this time it feels different and it makes him uneasy. He wonders where this feeling even comes from, because really all the other has done is look at him. Nobody else commented on it, so nobody else has noticed.

_It must all be in my head._

He continues his practice, but he can feel himself being distracted. The other is hidden in the shadows of the far side of the gym, probably leaning against the wall. Though Oikawa refuses to even glance that direction. Upon landing another serve Oikawa feels his knee twinge and he has to suppress the urge to make a sound or give any other indication of hurt. He knows he should have stopped by now.

_Iwa-chan. Iwa-chan would have stopped me by now._

Thoughts of his best friend and team ace make his heart clench in his chest. Oikawa hasn’t seen the other in days now and as he recalls the devastated expression on Iwaizumi’s face when he had been told his aunt died he convinces himself that it’s fine this way. He needs space to grieve and Oikawa isn’t that pathetic that he can’t take care of himself until the funeral is over.

_It’s just my knee. It’s just a person looking at me. It’s nothing._

These thoughts are like a mantra on repeat in his head as Oikawa wipes away the sweat from his face, eyes stinging slightly. He is so absorbed that he doesn’t notice that the presence at the back of the gym has moved from its previous position.

“It seems like your knee is bothering you again, Tooru-kun.” The sugary sweet voice of the assistant coach sends shivers down his spine. He doesn’t want to talk to him, but he is forced to finally acknowledge the other’s presence when a hand lands on his lower back in fake comfort. Oikawa has to swallow back nausea and anxiety that the feeling inspires before he can say anything.

“It’s fine.” He finally manages to force out, he clears his throat uncomfortably and moves away from the reach of the other. He has to stop himself from showing too much relief when the poisonous touch is no longer upon him. “I’m leaving.” He announces quietly and goes to put away the equipment. The uneasy feeling that person inspires doesn’t go away even when he hears the gym door creak again.

-

And it lingers late into the night, way past what should be normal. Oikawa has finished his usual evening routine and has even taken care of his knee, putting an ice pack on and is now laying on his bed in his dark bedroom. He holds his phone in his hand. He presses the power button and the screen flicks to life. On and off. He is indecisive. Has promised not to bother Iwaizumi about anything that isn’t an outright emergency and he wants to respect the wishes of the other.

He recalls the feel of the lingering gaze, the syrupy voice, the unsettling touch. He feels a shudder course through him. Iwaizumi would be able to tell him why he feels so uneasy in the presence of the assistant coach. Oikawa is sure of that, because Iwaizumi is always the one who knows these things. He sets Oikawa on the right course, unfailingly, every time.

He stares at the lit screen of his phone for far too long before he pulls up the messenger app that the Seijoh team uses. There are barely any messages between him and Iwaizumi there now, the last one sent the day prior to the announcement of Iwaizumi’s aunt’s death.

_Can we talk?_

Oikawa chews on his lip nervously as he types out and sends the message.

_Is this important?_

The reply comes only moments afterwards startling Oikawa into a sitting position. And then like reflex Oikawa is second guessing himself. Despite his outer bravado, he is quite prone to doubting anything he does. And really is some stupid feeling he is probably imagining worth disturbing Iwaizumi’s grief?

_Never mind._

He types back and falls back onto his bed resigned. He’ll talk to him when the funeral is over. That’s only in a few days after all.

_Go to sleep, Shittykawa._

-

But Oikawa is Oikawa and he can’t stay away for long.

He doesn’t know what possesses him but he ends up on Iwaizumi’s doorstep on Sunday morning. He misses his friend and well maybe showing up uninvited to the funeral was a bit too much, but he feels that it’s not that odd given that they practically grew up together.

He had already promised to himself that he won’t talk about the assistant coach, it’s all about Iwaizumi today.

It’s Iwaizumi’s mother who opens the door and Oikawa feels awkward as he takes in her drawn face and red-rimmed eyes.

“Oh, Tooru, Hajime didn’t mention that you would be coming.”

Before he can even begin to gather his scattered thoughts to answer, Iwaizumi is there telling his mother something, but Oikawa is lost in the moment because in all his years he has never seen Iwaizumi like this. He seems smaller, like all the strength has been sucked out of him. His face mirrors his mother’s and it’s clear that he has been crying too.

Iwaizumi steps out and closes the door behind him. They stand awkwardly in silence on the front porch.

“So what is it?” Iwaizumi’s voice is gruff and he sounds weary. Oikawa wonders if it’s partly because he is talking to him. That thought makes his heart clench.

“I..” Oikawa is suddenly lost for words.

“Didn’t I tell you that I can’t be bothered with anything else until this is over? The funeral is in an hour, couldn’t you wait until tomorrow?” Iwaizumi is talking in a quiet tone, but Oikawa can tell he is irritated.

“I’m sorry.” Oikawa tries to speak, but his voice fails underneath Iwaizumi’s piercing stare.

“Whatever. I don’t have time for this.” Oikawa is sure this is just grief speaking, but the sharp feeling in his chest from being rejected by his best friend still spreads everywhere.

Oikawa tugs on the uncomfortable formal clothes he’s wearing and bites on his lip to keep his expression from changing to hurt as the door slams in his face.

-

He hadn’t even meant to come to the gym tonight, but after spending a few restless hours walking around in the cold November air he ends up there anyway. He changes into the spare gym clothes he always keep in his locker for occasions like this.

He is well into his warm up when the gym door creaks open again.

“Oh, I thought I saw the lights on.” Oikawa looks up into the scorching stare that hasn’t left him alone for weeks now. He just nods his acknowledgment to the assistant coach and continues warming up.

It seems the other is content enough even with the lack of response from Oikawa’s side. The man picks up a volleyball from the basket that Oikawa had dragged out from the equipment room.

“Iwaizumi is not here, yet again. I heard his family suffered a misfortune.” Oikawa freezes mid-stretch as the wound of his earlier encounter barely scabbed over is ripped apart again by those casual words.

“Ohh, did something happen?” The assistant coach drops the volleyball and approaches Oikawa. The smile stretching the other’s face is disgusting and Oikawa has the sudden urge to hit him. But he doesn’t, of course. He doesn’t say or do anything in response and he doesn’t understand why. It’s like he is frozen. What is it about _this person_ that makes Oikawa act so unlike himself?

“He’s usually the one to stop you from overdoing it. The head coach told me all about you two.” The other is walking towards him and Oikawa notices that he is unconsciously backing away. “Bet you two usually get real cosy here late at night.”

Oikawa’s back hits the cold wall of the gym and he feels like he can’t breathe anymore. He is trapped and _the other_ is so close, Oikawa after what feels like a lifetime finally takes a breath and flinches as he inhales. He hates the way the other smells. Cigarette smoke and cheap cologne.

“Something like this, right? Tooru-chan?” He whispers.

Before Oikawa can really process what is happening, rough hands are everywhere tugging on his gym clothes and Oikawa struggles to make a sound, say anything but his body is not responding. He is still frozen. He can’t move and then he feels disgustingly warm hands slipping underneath his shirt.

The only thing echoing in his empty mind is. _I was right. I was fucking right about him._

He feels a hand sneaking down south and slipping past the elastic band of his shorts and underwear. This shakes him and he finally struggles, but is stopped by the other hand pushing against his throat fixing him in place. Oikawa shudders squeezing his eyes shut, the touches foreign and rough. He hates himself because part of it does feel good, his traitorous body is responding and he is getting hard. He had always thought that wasn’t possible, he didn’t want this at all. So why?

Belatedly does he realise he is crying, which only seems to amuse the other. The hand on his throat tightens and Oikawa struggles to swallow, his gaze blurry from tears and lack of oxygen.

“Oh, Tooru-chan, you are so cute.” The whisper is poison.

He closes his eyes and doesn’t open them anymore. He wills it all away. _This is not real and I am not here. It’s not happening._

He pushes everything out of his mind, except he holds on to a single image, the one person that has always helped him get through any situation. Iwaizumi. _Help. Please._

The next time he opens his eyes and regains his senses, there is a sticky feeling in his boxers, his knees are weak and he slides down the wall and crashes to the floor. There is nothing holding him up anymore and he vaguely realises that the other has left.

It takes him a lifetime to get himself together.

And as Oikawa shivers and drags his weak body towards the locker room the last whispered promise echoes in his head.

_“If you tell anyone, Tooru-chan, I will make sure you won’t play volleyball ever again.”_

-

He gets in trouble the next day at morning practice for not properly locking up after using the gym on a Sunday night, but that doesn’t matter to Oikawa at all when the person who violated him is right there next to the head coach. The expression on _his_ face sets Oikawa’s insides on fire, the burning feeling makes him want to curl up and die on the spot.

He takes it all, the punishment is extra laps around the gym. He takes it all, but every time he passes the spot where he had been pushed against the wall his head feels light, his vision blurry and there’s bile rising in his throat.

By the time he is through his laps, he probably looks sufficiently horrible because the head coach calls him aside and makes him sit on the bench instead of joining the others in practice.

“What the hell Oikawa. You should have said if you didn’t feel good.” There is a buzzing in his head and he feels a shudder course through him when there’s a hand on his thigh. _No, no, no, no.._

“I’ll take care of him, coach. It seems like he overdid it yesterday, probably that’s why he didn’t lock up properly too.” The silkily sweet voice of the assistant coach accompanies the hand that is gripping his thigh hard enough to bruise.

Oikawa blanks everything out again until there’s a familiar presence next to him, the hand leaves his thigh and the setter wants to sob in relief when he realizes Iwaizumi is there. He’s talking to the head coach but Oikawa can tell that the other is glancing at him every other second. He realizes how it must look. They didn’t really finish their conversation yesterday on the best of terms and here he is looking like hell. He wants to tell Iwaizumi everything, screw the consequences, he wants to him to know that the fight is meaningless, that everything seems meaningless now..

But before he can even open his mouth to greet his best friend, the disgustingly sweet voice (he hateshateshates so much) interrupts.

“Oh, Oikawa-kun, you’re up for more personal training in the evening after practice, right?”

Oikawa freezes, he doesn’t trust his voice so he just nods mechanically, because despite his earlier thoughts (whimsical, really) there is no way he can tell Iwaizumi or anyone. And he can’t refuse the assistant coach.

“Wouldn’t want anything unfortunate to happen to your knee, right?”

Oikawa wants to cry, but the tears don’t come out.

-

Oikawa really should have known better, despite all his instincts screaming at him not to go, to not let _him_ do any more damage, here he is back in the gym to practice serves.

The only thought that keeps him going is.. _Iwa-chan is back, he might come, he could come and see.. He must at least be suspicious._

With these incoherent sentences echoing through his head he meets _the other_ and to Oikawa’s surprise they actually work on volleyball this time. The _other_ shows him a more controlled and powerful serve than the one he is currently using, takes care to fix his stance without any lingering touches and then makes him take break when it seems that he has been working for too long.

Oikawa feels like he has stepped in some alternate universe where none of the events from yesterday and earlier today took place. He wants to call out and accuse _the other,_ but he is also afraid that it might shatter the momentary peace.

The confusion lasts until the practice is over and Oikawa heads to the locker rooms to shower and change.

He is just pulling his shirt off when he feels somebody pushing him and he stumbles to the floor, his hands get tangled in the shirt so his knees bear the brunt of the fall. A sharp twinge runs up his thigh as his injured knee protests the abuse. He clenches his jaw so he wouldn’t cry out.

“It seems like your friend Iwaizumi wanted to check up on you.”

Oikawa’s insides freeze. _Iwa-chan had been here._ He had been here and Oikawa didn’t even notice.

“Now that he left, we can get to the important part, Tooru-chan.”

He was here and left.

Rough hands grab Oikawa’s face and turn him to face _the other_. Oikawa squeezes his eyes shut for a moment, this position is far more humiliating than being pressed against a wall. His hands immobile and sort of numb, he is still on his knees and shaking.

Fingers dig into the skin on his face and drag roughly over it, parting his lips in the end. Oikawa shudders as they press inside of his mouth, sort of a morbid prelude to what he is sure will come soon after.

“Tooru-chan, I’m sure you know what you’re supposed to do now.” But Oikawa can’t move, he can’t do anything. Already tears are blurring his vision.

The older pulls back his fingers and seems to admire the way they glisten in the shoddy lighting of the locker room.

“You’re right of course, this is sort of boring.” He keeps up the entirely one-sided conversation, as if Oikawa had provided some amazing insights just then.

Oikawa startles when he hears the sound of clothes rustling and his mouth is full again. His stomach twists painfully as nausea rises at the taste and scent of the other on his tongue. Hands thread roughly trough his hair forcing him to move and bob his head to an unfamiliar rhythm.

His hair is yanked harshly. “No teeth, Tooru-chan. It’s almost like you’ve never sucked dick before.” Tears drip down Oikawa’s face. He chokes and _the other_ laughs.

Oikawa had thought that nothing could possibly be worse than what happened yesterday, but that is now a blur in his memory compared to the horrifying reality of the now.

He is forced to speed up and ugly noises spread through the empty locker room. He chokes more often than not, but that doesn’t seem to bother the other, in fact it seems to further amuse and arouse him. Oikawa Tooru had never found sex or anything associated with disgusting until he was faced with this _monster_.

The monster moans his breath stuttering and Oikawa is utterly unprepared for the hot liquid that fills his mouth. Some spills past and drips down his chin. The monster pulls out, but before Oikawa can spit out the disgusting substance, there’s a hand pressed against his mouth.

“You better swallow that.” The sinister smile on the monster’s face kills any rebellious thoughts that might have appeared at that moment.

 _He_ massage’s Oikawa’s throat and fresh tears drip down his face as he swallows. It sticks as it goes down.

“Good boy, Tooru-chan. Go clean up and don’t forget to lock up when you’re done.” The monster laughs as he fixes his clothes and leaves with a pleased expression on his face.

Oikawa barely makes it to the bathroom before his vision turns dark around the edges and he’s throwing everything up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!!! if you notice anything even suspect going on please report it to the authorities. so much assault/abuse goes on because people turn a blind eye to it
> 
> next part: iwaizumi


	2. and where it goes right.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The resolution as witnessed by Iwaizumi Hajime.

Iwaizumi Hajime has always prided himself in knowing everything there is to know about his best friend. He has been next to him through almost everything that life has thrown at them since they met at the age of six. However this time it seems beyond scraped knees, bad grades, break ups or even Oikawa’s bad knee. Though admittedly the last one almost always manages to come back at the worst times.

Right now all he knows is that he has to find him. But of course Iwaizumi’s luck was somehow frequently rotten when it came to Oikawa. The setter had managed to avoid Iwaizumi all day, even during morning practice. So when he finally spots the taller walking down the long, winding school hallways in a rush towards the bathrooms, he follows him immediately.

At least this part is predictable. He sighs knowing that he should have done something sooner. The way Tooru had been acting on Sunday and Monday had been odd despite the odd circumstances. He knew him just enough to know that hadn’t been the usual Oikawa trying to come up with ways to bother him. Today was Tuesday and Oikawa seemed to be even worse off if morning practice was anything to go by, something else was going on here and Iwaizumi was hell bent on finding out what.

He wasn’t quite prepared for what he found in the bathroom stall. Oikawa was curled up against the toilet smaller than Iwaizumi could remember. He hadn’t seen properly in the morning practice, but the now very obvious make up on Oikawa’s face had been rubbed off and he looked like he hadn’t slept a wink in a week. The dark circles underneath his red rimmed eyes were even more pronounced because of the sallowness of his skin. His lips, chapped like he has been biting on them for prolonged periods of time.

_Oikawa doesn’t bite on his lips._ Iwaizumi suddenly feels uneasy, he knows everything there is to know about the other boy and that isn’t part of him. Something essential has shifted. So Iwaizumi drops down to his knees and wraps arms around the other’s shaking form. He doesn’t miss the hitch in the sobbing and the moment of hesitation before Oikawa relaxes in his arms. He lets him cry as he gently pats his shoulder, he’s always been awkward at this, but he figures that anything works for Oikawa at this point.

They sit like that way past what should have been their lunch break, both of them missing class, but at this point Iwaizumi is sure that that’s the least of their problems. By now Oikawa’s sobs have reduced to sniffles every now and then, but the very obvious tension is still there. Iwaizumi pulls back just a bit and sighs as he realizes that Oikawa is clutching his uniform blazer like it’s his lifeline.

“Oikawa, can you tell me what’s going on?” Iwaizumi starts in a gruff voice and belatedly adds a “please” at the end when the silence stretches. He watches the miniscule changes in Oikawa’s expression. The hints of true fear scrunch up his usually carefree features and make the pit in Iwaizumi’s stomach grow. “Come on, you were trying to tell me something when you texted me before and then on Sunday too and I’m really sorry about how things turned out that day, but you really caught me at a bad time.” Iwaizumi swallows his rambling, his unease growing as Oikawa stays quiet.

Moments pass and Iwaizumi shifts on the floor adjusting Oikawa’s long legs so they are draped over his lap. A small bathroom stall really isn’t the best place where to try and cuddle on the floor. Oikawa whimpers as he jostles his knee and Iwaizumi latches onto the part of Oikawa that is familiar to him in this foreign situation.

“You over did it again.” Iwaizumi rubs his forehead in slight frustration, feeling the beginnings of a headache forming. “I thought the new assistant coach was helping you with this. So why is it hurting again?” Oikawa is unnaturally still in his arms and Iwaizumi wonders if he is even breathing anymore. But before he can question it further Iwaizumi finds himself knocked out of breath as he is pushed against the stall wall in Oikawa’s haste to get up. The taller unlocks the door with shaking hands and is gone out of the bathroom in seconds.

_What the hell just happened?_

-

Oikawa is back to avoiding him and this time it is even more noticeable, the atmosphere at the practice is tense, despite most people there being unaware of the cause. Iwaizumi’s headache is full blown by now. Oikawa is here and practicing despite his knee hurting and looks like he is ready to keel over any moment now. And now that he has had time to analyse the confrontation in the bathroom, Iwaizumi’s brain has focused on one thing.

Oikawa’s reaction had changed drastically when the assistant coach had been mentioned. He had literally exited the conversation as fast as he could.

Iwaizumi narrows his eyes staring at the man in question. He is now painfully aware of the looks the assistant coach is giving their setter and team captain. And Oikawa seems to be dead set on not looking anywhere near the man. It almost feels like Oikawa is afraid of him. Iwaizumi recalls the look on Oikawa’s face when he had questioned him earlier. He puts together the before and after images he has of Oikawa in his mind, comparing how he had been before the disastrous past days and now. The stark difference and the question of the assistant coach’s involvement makes Iwaizumi uneasy in a way he didn’t know he could be.

Iwaizumi takes his unease out on volleyball, hitting spikes harder than he usually would for simple drills. He almost expects a teasing comment or at least a look his way from Oikawa, but the other is just as quiet and almost absent in his motions as before. The team has noticed by now and leave him alone, Iwaizumi wonders how it would be if he wasn’t here. It almost feels like he is the only one who is concerned, he knows it isn’t true, but nobody is doing anything. They are just letting him..

He is about to explode and maybe even confront Oikawa even though practice is still going on when Matsukawa stops him near the benches with a concerned look, Hanamaki looming somewhere behind him.

“What’s going on with Oikawa?”

Iwaizumi almost wants to hit him for asking that so casually, but he doesn’t. Instead he inhales and reins in his unsteady emotions and with the exhale he shrugs helplessly.

“I want to find out too. Have you guys noticed anything about the new assistant coach?”

The sudden shift in topic makes Matsukawa raise his eyebrows, but he dutifully looks aside where the man is standing and after a moment, Iwaizumi can even pinpoint the exact moment it clicks, he comes to a conclusion.

“He seems to pay a lot of attention to him.” The boy breathes out and Iwaizumi nods.

“He has been doing that since he started working.” Hanamaki’s voice startles them both. They both turn to him. Hanamaki had always been pretty observant and Iwaizumi instead of feeling angry at him for not doing something about it, feels shame instead. He should have noticed first.

They don’t comment on Hanamaki’s statement, it seems quite obvious in retrospect. People always pay attention to Oikawa, so it really shouldn’t come as a surprise in that department, but these looks they are seeing now are different. Iwaizumi has enough awareness to know these looks are the same as some of the girls’ that chased after Oikawa with confessions. Nausea twists his gut and it seems that the duo before him have come to the same conclusion because they also look unsettled.

“Somehow I don’t think we should let Oikawa be alone with him.” Matsukawa comments after a stretch of silence. Iwaizumi almost slams his head into the nearby wall because Oikawa has in fact been alone with the assistant coach several times now. He had left Oikawa in his care just yesterday. He doesn’t say anything as the head coach breaks up their little group and orders them to do more drills, but in his mind he promises to himself and Oikawa that he will find out whatever is going on. Tonight.

-

_It came suddenly._

Iwaizumi had pretended to leave the gym after the practice, watching as Oikawa’s face became paler and paler, yet the setter stayed behind anyway. Any other time Iwaizumi would drag him home immediately, but he needed to understand what was happening, he needed to know the situation, so he let Oikawa do what he wanted and walked away. Even though it killed him inside.

Waiting just a bit making sure that the assistant coach had seen him leave, he walked all the way to the school gate and then turned back the way he came, back to the gym. He stayed in the shadows behind the half open door shivering in the cold air. Everything seemed fine for now, even though the air was permeated with weird tension. Oikawa was bouncing the ball against the floor, the assistant coach besides him saying something Iwaizumi couldn’t hear from so far away.

_All it took was one small thing._

He watches almost in slow motion as Oikawa freezes at something the man had said and the ball slips from his grasp and rolls away. Oikawa never loses control of the ball like that. Iwaizumi’s eyes zero in on the shaking hands he can spot even from back here. It comes so suddenly. Iwaizumi watches in shock as the man wraps his hands around Oikawa’s waist from behind and starts fondling him, his mouth against Oikawa’s throat _kissing it._

Iwaizumi sees red.

He doesn’t quite understand how it happened, but suddenly he is there next to the pair punching the vile man straight in the face. He hears a satisfying crack and there’s blood gushing. Oikawa is there in front of him shell shocked, Iwaizumi has just enough reflexes to catch him in a tight hold when he stumbles. He drags him away as far as he can from the man lying on the floor dazed, already murmuring comforting words against Oikawa’s ear. He can feel his friend shaking in his arms crying and mumbling “sorry” and “thank you” over and over again. He feels the rage build up again, but punching the man again would mean letting go and he can’t let go of Oikawa now. He’s not sure if he ever can.

He hears commotion behind him and there’s suddenly more people in the gym. He spots Hanamaki and Matsukawa behind several teachers. And Iwaizumi is so grateful that at least they had the mindfulness to think ahead and call some sort of back up while Iwaizumi just charged in. He nods at them and they nod back in agreement, they will talk about this later. Right now Iwaizumi has to focus on Oikawa and explaining to the teacher’s what happened.

-

Everything passes in a blur and Iwaizumi is glad to see the assistant coach being taken away by school staff for questioning separately. He finds that he can breathe normally again only when him and Oikawa are left alone in the school infirmary, the teachers done with their questioning and off to call Oikawa’s parents and the authorities. Iwaizumi is sure it will be a messy ordeal, so he is relieved to let the adults deal with this.

He turns to Oikawa watching his withdrawn face, he has a vague idea of what had occurred over the past three days and he is horrified at how everything had spiralled out of control. And there’s so, so, so much guilt piling up as he examines all the interactions he had with Oikawa or lack thereof. He wants to offer some platitudes, but he knows they are useless. Instead he pulls an ice pack out of the infirmary storage and sets to take care of Oikawa’s knee, he can at least do that much. Oikawa lets him, staying still and Iwaizumi swallows feeling uneasy with this new silence that doesn’t fit Oikawa at all.

“Why didn’t you tell me, back there in the bathroom?” Iwaizumi blurts out finally and it takes an agonizing moment for Oikawa to respond.

“He said he would make sure I never played volleyball again.” Oikawa’s voice is a whisper, the sound hoarse like he hasn’t said a word in days. Iwaizumi flinches feeling the rage well up in him again.

“That fucking bastard.” Oikawa despite the situation cracks a weak smile at the profanity and Iwaizumi feels something deep within him clench as he thinks that everything might not be lost after all.

Oikawa might be broken. He can see the shambles laying everywhere, in Oikawa’s expressions, his new habit of chewing on his lip and how he shrinks within himself when somebody gets too close. But it’s not all lost.

There’s so much to be addressed and so much to talk about, but he takes in Oikawa’s tired form and decides that all of that can wait. So Iwaizumi settles for gathering Oikawa in a loose hug careful to not be too forceful and promises quietly to himself that he will help his friend get over this no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading my first fic on this site, so happy to see the kudos/bookmarks/comments and stuff omg thanks ily all  
> sequel is in the works!!
> 
>  
> 
> [tumblr](http://mingohomo.tumblr.com/)


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